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Put $u=ct-x$ and $v=ct+x$. The chain rule turns the wave equation into $4y_{uv}=0$. Integrating first in $v$ and then in $u$ gives the D'Alembert formulaAt the left endpoint, $g(u)=-f(u)$ for $u>0$. At the right endpoint, $f(ct-L)+g(ct+L)=0$, henceThus the travelling waves can be represented by $g=-f$, with $f$ and $g$ both $2L$-periodic. More precisely, the positive-time boundary conditions constrain only $f$ on $(-L,\infty )$ and $g$ on $(0,\infty )$; their unused arguments may be filled in by this periodic extension. They do not constrain arbitrary pre-existing choices outside those ranges. This is periodic reflection for a fixed-end string.

Using $g=-f$, differentiation gives $y_t=c(f^{\prime }(ct-x)-f^{\prime }(ct+x))$ and $y_x=-f^{\prime }(ct-x)-f^{\prime }(ct+x)$. The cross terms in the wave energy cancel, soThis integrates a $2L$-periodic function over exactly one period. $E(t)$ is constant. Equivalently, the wave equation gives $E^{\prime }(t)=[y_t{y}_x{]}_0^L=0$, because the fixed endpoint values imply $y_t=0$ there.